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Narrator: An American war
machine given a second life.
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Landing people on the moon
was an epic, defining moment
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00:00:10,600 --> 00:00:13,280
but it wasn't the
end of the mission.
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An eerie shrine in Bulgaria that
offered the promise of immortality.
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Children would
burst into tears at
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the sight of the departed
father of their country.
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An attack on a British city
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designed to grind its
people into submission.
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As much as 95% of its buildings
were damaged or destroyed.
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And an Italian labour of love
born from the ashes of trauma.
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This was architecture
intended to look forward
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00:00:50,040 --> 00:00:52,440
to a new kind of future.
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Decaying relics,
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decaying relics,
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ruins of lost worlds,
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sites haunted by the past,
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their secrets waiting
to be revealed.
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In California, usa,
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lies a behemoth
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with a story that
is out of this world.
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Obviously we're in
San Francisco bay.
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This is a bustling bay with lots
of industry, lots of naval facilities.
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And then you come up and you
see this huge vision before you.
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And there's no
mystery what this is.
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It's an aircraft carrier.
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It's imposing,
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it's sleek,
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it's deadly.
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Inside, the vessel has
everything you'd expect to see
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inside, the vessel has
everything you'd expect to see
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onboard a us Navy ship.
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Everywhere you turn
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there are more dials, more
instruments, more screens.
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And then there are rows
and rows of beds for the crew.
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There's a kitchen,
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there's just everything that
you need to survive and function.
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It's essentially
a floating city.
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This ship served a vital role in
the 20th century's greatest conflict,
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but there are features that
reveal it also had another mission.
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And that's this
airstream trailer,
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parked conspicuously
with a presidential seal on it,
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and that suggests that this aircraft
carrier had a very specific purpose
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in addition to
its wartime roles.
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Right now we're in what's
called 'primary flight',
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right now we're in what's
called 'primary flight',
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and it's basically
the same thing
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as air-traffic controller
at a civilian airport.
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The air boss would be
running the show up here,
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directing flight operations
down the flight deck.
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Retired us naval
officer Ron cappa
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has inspected numerous aircraft
carriers over his military career.
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This one, the USS
hornet, is a true legend.
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The hornet was part
of a carrier task group
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that was responsible for
launching many strikes.
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The carrier could launch
planes about every 30 seconds.
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They were the most modern
and the biggest of the time.
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Construction begins
in August 1942
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and it's finished
in August 1943.
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It took just one year to build
this massive aircraft carrier.
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When launched into action against
the axis powers in world war ii
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when launched into action against
the axis powers in world war ii
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she was a fearsome beast.
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00:04:06,520 --> 00:04:10,360
The ship was stocked
with some serious air power,
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including air groups of fighter,
bomber and torpedo squadrons.
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If you look at the USS
hornet, the history of this ship,
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it is intertwined with the history
of the American war in the pacific
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in world war ii.
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The ship fought in
multiple campaigns
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in new Guinea,
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in the Philippines,
in iwo jima, saipan.
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It had, like,
seven battle stars.
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The hornet's most
famous engagement
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was the battle of
the philippine sea,
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later dubbed the great
marianas Turkey shoot.
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The battle of the philippine
sea was quite historic.
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The Japanese were
looking for the Americans
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and they were in the philippine
sea around the Mariana islands,
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and the Japanese
actually spotted the fleet
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and the Japanese
actually spotted the fleet
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before the Americans had, you
know, discovered the Japanese.
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The Japanese launched everything
they had from their own carriers
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to try to wipe out the
American carrier fleet.
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The hornet was among the ones
sent by American admirals in the pacific
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to intercept,
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and they had this
phenomenal shoot-down ratio
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where 500 Japanese
aircraft shot down
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with the loss of something
like 30 American planes.
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The Japanese fight and fight,
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but they get crushed,
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and are never able to significantly
strike with their carriers again.
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As the battle in the
pacific theatre raged on,
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the hornet's crew worked tirelessly
to press home their advantage.
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Life for the crew
during world war ii
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was very hectic, very
hot and very busy.
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There was something
going on all the time,
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especially when you're
in battle conditions -
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you were either
preparing for battle,
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you were fuelling up ready
to go into another battle,
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you were fuelling up ready
to go into another battle,
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you were arming up,
you were taking on stores.
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There was something
going on 24/7 every day.
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And they continued to
deliver knockout blows.
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In just 18 months of
combat operations,
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the crew of the USS hornet
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shot down 668 Japanese planes
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and sank over a million
tonnes of Japanese ships.
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At the war's end, the
ship was modernised
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and sent back out to sea
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to support the fight against
Vietnamese communists.
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But soon it would be called to
take part in its greatest operation yet.
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00:06:39,440 --> 00:06:43,600
On July 12, 1969,
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the hornet slipped her
moors at Pearl harbor
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and embarked on a
new mission in the pacific.
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Built for battle, the ship was
pressed into the service of science.
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One week later,
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Neil Armstrong became the
first man to walk on the moon.
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Neil Armstrong became the
first man to walk on the moon.
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- (Crackly) It's one
small step for man...
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One giant leap for mankind.
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God, it looks
beautiful from here.
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The Apollo 11 mission was
so important and so symbolic.
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The idea of landing
a man on the moon
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00:07:21,080 --> 00:07:24,080
was something that people
have dreamed of for centuries.
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00:07:26,240 --> 00:07:28,216
You know, for those of us old
enough to remember watching this,
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it was hard enough getting
these guys into space
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and then somebody
had to pick 'em up,
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and that was the job
of the USS hornet.
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The hornet's basically
an airport at sea,
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00:07:37,440 --> 00:07:41,640
and it's the perfect base of
operations to recover this capsule,
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00:07:41,680 --> 00:07:45,240
which is gonna come hurtling
out of space and land in the ocean.
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23 July, early afternoon...
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The hornet waited in the
predesignated splashdown zone,
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while the Apollo 11 astronauts
made their final checks.
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00:08:02,720 --> 00:08:05,800
June '69, captain
seiberlich was in command.
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00:08:05,840 --> 00:08:09,520
They did like 15 or
16 simulated retrievals,
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00:08:09,560 --> 00:08:11,936
you know, to make sure
that everything was prepared
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00:08:11,960 --> 00:08:13,240
and the crew was prepared.
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00:08:15,000 --> 00:08:18,000
Weeks of planning were
about to be put to the test,
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00:08:18,040 --> 00:08:20,520
as the eyes of the
world watched on.
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But there was a problem.
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Top-secret reconnaissance
satellite recon information
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held that a storm was threatening
the original splashdown zone,
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00:08:35,039 --> 00:08:38,280
but they couldn't really tell the
guys at NASA how they knew this.
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It was all very
cloak and dagger.
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To come down in the
middle of a storm like this
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could have torn the parachutes
that were bringing the capsule in
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to shreds,
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which meant that they would have
hit the water at much too high of speed
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and very likely killed
the astronauts on impact.
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Fearing catastrophe,
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the operative that spotted the
danger circumvented protocol
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to alert a chief naval officer
to the peril that lay in wait.
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And little-known fact,
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the splashdown zone was actually
moved 250 miles at the last minute.
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On 24 July, in the final
hours before splashdown,
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the hornet raced to
take up its new position.
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(Comms chatter)
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The crew was on high alert.
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Returning astronauts were not
the only visitors they were expecting.
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Early in the morning,
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president Nixon arrived
aboard marine one.
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You know, my past
history in the Navy,
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when we had dignitaries
aboard it was all spick and span.
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You don't want
anything to go wrong,
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so I'm sure, you know,
tensions were high.
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It must have been
hell for the skipper
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having the president of the united
states, his commander-in-chief,
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onboard, looking
over his shoulder.
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00:10:00,880 --> 00:10:04,800
Meanwhile, the Columbia
capsule hurtled back to earth.
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Around 6am they see Columbia
come through the atmosphere
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and land in the water.
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So the Navy rescue team
came up to the capsule on boats,
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began the process of stabilising
it and getting the crew out,
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but not before they
handed them Hazmat suits.
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Something that most people don't
remember about these lunar missions
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is that we had no idea what
bacteria, what pathogens
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existed on the moon,
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so when these guys came back
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they had to be very
strictly quarantined
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in case they were
carrying some superbug
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that had never been
seen on earth before.
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Once the astronauts
arrived on the hornet,
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00:11:00,001 --> 00:11:01,616
once the astronauts
arrived on the hornet,
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they were placed into what would
be their home for the next four days.
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This is where the
astronauts were put inside
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to where they
could get cleaned up
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and get rid of their
contamination suits.
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As we enter the trailer,
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off to my right we have their
sitting, eating area right in here.
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Back in here is
their little kitchenette
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and actually one of the first
microwaves ever produced.
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So after the astronauts were
placed inside the quarantine facility,
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president Nixon came up
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and was talking to them
through this window right here.
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He waves to them and, you know,
sort of pantomime shaking their hand
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and has this little chat
through the glass with them.
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The hornet, with its cargo of
returning heroes safely onboard,
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then set off for its final
destination of Hawaii.
199
00:11:59,760 --> 00:12:00,000
So the astronauts actually stayed
in this trailer for the whole journey,
200
00:12:00,001 --> 00:12:03,440
so the astronauts actually stayed
in this trailer for the whole journey,
201
00:12:03,480 --> 00:12:07,680
then they were loaded onto
a plane, still in the trailer,
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00:12:07,720 --> 00:12:09,040
flown to Houston,
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where they rode out the
rest of their quarantine
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in a larger facility.
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00:12:16,280 --> 00:12:19,600
And just a year after
participating in this recovery
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00:12:19,640 --> 00:12:21,880
of the astronauts
from Apollo 11,
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the USS hornet is mothballed
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and, you know,
basically put on the shelf.
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It's ended its useful life, no
longer valuable as a naval asset.
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00:12:39,840 --> 00:12:45,120
In 1998 the ship was donated to
the aircraft carrier hornet foundation,
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00:12:45,160 --> 00:12:49,800
its service to
america immortalised.
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The USS hornet was
turned into a museum
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00:12:53,280 --> 00:12:57,800
so that people could come and
learn the story of not only world war ii
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00:12:57,840 --> 00:12:59,040
and those postwar years
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00:12:59,080 --> 00:13:00,000
but also this special story
of NASA's Apollo 11 mission.
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00:13:00,001 --> 00:13:04,000
But also this special story
of NASA's Apollo 11 mission.
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00:13:06,520 --> 00:13:08,200
As you're moving about the ship,
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00:13:08,240 --> 00:13:11,720
you're seeing what the
sailors of that period of time -
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00:13:11,760 --> 00:13:13,080
my period of time, to be exact -
220
00:13:13,120 --> 00:13:15,760
were actually dealing
with, what we lived through,
221
00:13:15,800 --> 00:13:18,800
what the spaces looked like,
how small the passageways were.
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00:13:19,840 --> 00:13:22,040
The USS hornet
to me means a lot,
223
00:13:22,080 --> 00:13:24,840
and to be a part of it right now
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00:13:24,880 --> 00:13:27,320
is like going back,
being a kid again.
225
00:13:27,360 --> 00:13:31,360
And I get to talk to people
about the things that the ship did.
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00:13:31,400 --> 00:13:34,280
I can't express how
much I like to do that
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00:13:34,320 --> 00:13:36,920
and how much I
feel part of the ship.
228
00:13:38,600 --> 00:13:41,880
The story tells us, you know,
that carriers are basically a way
229
00:13:41,920 --> 00:13:44,376
to achieve a sovereign
piece of American real estate
230
00:13:44,400 --> 00:13:47,160
in the middle of the ocean,
wherever you need it.
231
00:13:48,160 --> 00:13:49,760
You can have the capacity
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00:13:49,800 --> 00:13:53,000
to pull a space capsule
onboard or recover the crew,
233
00:13:53,040 --> 00:13:55,616
and you can also launch airstrikes
from this thing anywhere, anytime.
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00:13:55,640 --> 00:13:56,800
As the Navy always says,
235
00:13:56,840 --> 00:13:59,800
"don't piss us off. We can
be there in 24 hours or less."
236
00:14:05,920 --> 00:14:09,680
In the Bulgarian capital, where
few residents have ventured,
237
00:14:09,720 --> 00:14:14,360
is a reminder of a power that
once consumed Eastern Europe.
238
00:14:18,240 --> 00:14:19,800
Sofia is a beautiful city.
239
00:14:19,840 --> 00:14:24,000
It has got activity,
it's got nightlife.
240
00:14:24,040 --> 00:14:26,520
There are no obvious
abandoned buildings here.
241
00:14:26,560 --> 00:14:30,880
Everything looks very well
maintained and even pristine.
242
00:14:32,040 --> 00:14:35,000
Yet in the centre of
this immaculate town,
243
00:14:35,040 --> 00:14:38,840
hidden from view, is the
entrance way to another world.
244
00:14:41,920 --> 00:14:48,920
Here we've got narrow tunnels which
are branching off into the darkness.
245
00:14:51,200 --> 00:14:55,640
At the heart of the labyrinthian
network lies a spartan room.
246
00:14:59,840 --> 00:15:00,000
It's almost like an old
hospital or maybe an asylum.
247
00:15:00,001 --> 00:15:03,800
It's almost like an old
hospital or maybe an asylum.
248
00:15:03,840 --> 00:15:07,080
You have these tiled
walls and these thick doors.
249
00:15:09,160 --> 00:15:13,760
There's these old refrigerators
with big power supplies,
250
00:15:13,800 --> 00:15:16,040
a big metal table.
251
00:15:16,080 --> 00:15:18,800
It's just kind of
creepy and strange.
252
00:15:21,040 --> 00:15:23,160
When I look at this table,
253
00:15:23,200 --> 00:15:27,240
all I can think is this
is a mortuary slab.
254
00:15:30,720 --> 00:15:36,200
Reality is that these tunnels were
used for a kind of dark propaganda
255
00:15:36,240 --> 00:15:39,040
to convince the people to
follow a certain way of life.
256
00:15:44,800 --> 00:15:48,160
Behind me there is a
building of national bank,
257
00:15:48,200 --> 00:15:51,240
and in front of me there is
a national theatre building,
258
00:15:51,280 --> 00:15:53,800
also the building of
ministry of defence.
259
00:15:53,840 --> 00:15:57,440
But the real story, the
hidden story, is underground.
260
00:16:00,440 --> 00:16:02,520
Ivo maev is a journalist
261
00:16:02,560 --> 00:16:06,720
who has spent many years
exploring the city's secret tunnels.
262
00:16:08,280 --> 00:16:11,200
The inconspicuous gateway
to Sofia's netherworld
263
00:16:11,240 --> 00:16:14,160
is located near a
busy marketplace.
264
00:16:16,680 --> 00:16:18,920
It's Christmas mood here
265
00:16:18,960 --> 00:16:21,680
but it's quite
different downstairs.
266
00:16:24,480 --> 00:16:26,960
Very few people know
about this place here.
267
00:16:27,000 --> 00:16:28,800
Here is the past of Bulgaria.
268
00:16:34,280 --> 00:16:36,840
Most of the tunnels
date back to the cold war,
269
00:16:36,880 --> 00:16:40,600
when Bulgaria was
a communist country.
270
00:16:40,640 --> 00:16:43,720
This government ruled over
its people with an iron fist.
271
00:16:45,800 --> 00:16:49,280
Georgi dimitrov was
the leader of Bulgaria.
272
00:16:49,320 --> 00:16:52,360
He was put into place
by the Soviets in 1946
273
00:16:52,400 --> 00:16:54,040
and he was fine with that.
274
00:16:54,080 --> 00:16:56,640
He wanted to be a
communist leader.
275
00:16:56,680 --> 00:16:59,840
He had no problem following
the directives of the Soviets.
276
00:17:02,040 --> 00:17:05,960
Bulgarians readily accepted
dimitrov's dictatorial control,
277
00:17:06,000 --> 00:17:09,880
for they were a population
in dire need of hope.
278
00:17:11,960 --> 00:17:15,400
Bulgaria was a desperately
poor country at the time,
279
00:17:15,440 --> 00:17:21,480
and the people saw communism
as a way out of this grinding poverty
280
00:17:21,520 --> 00:17:23,880
after years of
bloodshed and violence.
281
00:17:26,520 --> 00:17:33,160
The Soviets help Bulgaria
to very rapidly industrialise,
282
00:17:33,200 --> 00:17:35,360
so ordinary Bulgarians
283
00:17:35,400 --> 00:17:41,200
are suddenly experiencing a
very different standard of living
284
00:17:41,240 --> 00:17:43,040
from what went before.
285
00:17:44,520 --> 00:17:47,960
As the country slowly
clambered out of destitution,
286
00:17:48,000 --> 00:17:50,640
it soon faced a new threat,
287
00:17:50,680 --> 00:17:53,360
one that demanded
the tunnel's construction.
288
00:17:58,000 --> 00:17:59,800
Official propaganda says
289
00:17:59,840 --> 00:18:00,000
that the nuclear war between
east and west will happen one day,
290
00:18:00,001 --> 00:18:03,880
that the nuclear war between
east and west will happen one day,
291
00:18:03,920 --> 00:18:07,200
and that's why officially
292
00:18:07,240 --> 00:18:10,760
the government promoted
tunnels and shelters
293
00:18:10,800 --> 00:18:13,760
as places for security,
294
00:18:13,800 --> 00:18:16,240
a safety zone for people.
295
00:18:18,240 --> 00:18:21,560
The reality of who the
tunnels were actually built for
296
00:18:21,600 --> 00:18:23,560
was radically different.
297
00:18:26,760 --> 00:18:29,480
It's believed
that this labyrinth
298
00:18:29,520 --> 00:18:34,960
encompasses nearly 150 miles
of tunnels built as escape routes,
299
00:18:35,000 --> 00:18:37,616
so that important communist
party officials could get away
300
00:18:37,640 --> 00:18:39,400
in case of a nuclear attack.
301
00:18:41,400 --> 00:18:44,840
So all these tunnels
went across the city
302
00:18:44,880 --> 00:18:49,680
and went up into all the
different important buildings -
303
00:18:49,720 --> 00:18:53,400
the bank, different
communist leaders' places.
304
00:18:53,440 --> 00:18:57,280
It was just a really elaborate
way for them to get around
305
00:18:57,320 --> 00:18:58,800
with nobody seeing them.
306
00:19:00,840 --> 00:19:04,560
Yet the tunnels weren't just
escape routes and passageways
307
00:19:04,600 --> 00:19:06,640
for communist dignitaries.
308
00:19:06,680 --> 00:19:10,920
They would go on to serve
a far more macabre purpose.
309
00:19:14,880 --> 00:19:17,256
So dimitrov had been in
power about three years
310
00:19:17,280 --> 00:19:21,240
and went on a trip to the
Soviet union and died there.
311
00:19:22,920 --> 00:19:24,520
It's unclear what happened.
312
00:19:24,560 --> 00:19:27,440
Nobody quite knows
what became of him,
313
00:19:27,480 --> 00:19:28,760
but we know that he died,
314
00:19:28,800 --> 00:19:31,920
and this was a huge blow
to the Bulgarian communists.
315
00:19:33,320 --> 00:19:35,200
The solution of the ruling party
316
00:19:35,240 --> 00:19:38,680
was to transform their
deceased leader into a deity.
317
00:19:41,320 --> 00:19:44,960
Dimitrov is going
to be refrigerated,
318
00:19:45,000 --> 00:19:48,080
embalmed, plasticised,
319
00:19:48,120 --> 00:19:50,680
moisturised
320
00:19:50,720 --> 00:19:56,720
and kept going as long as
Bulgaria remains communist.
321
00:19:58,040 --> 00:19:59,920
It was really important
322
00:19:59,960 --> 00:20:00,000
to keep the name and
the image of dimitrov alive.
323
00:20:00,001 --> 00:20:03,720
To keep the name and
the image of dimitrov alive.
324
00:20:03,760 --> 00:20:08,360
He had become central to this
idea of what communism was.
325
00:20:09,360 --> 00:20:13,280
To house his body, the government
built an extravagant mausoleum.
326
00:20:14,280 --> 00:20:16,456
Just as the pyramids
housed the pharaohs,
327
00:20:16,480 --> 00:20:20,080
this was to be the
eternal home of dimitrov
328
00:20:20,120 --> 00:20:22,640
and the centre of
political beliefs in Bulgaria.
329
00:20:24,680 --> 00:20:27,400
They put inside a big beacon,
330
00:20:27,440 --> 00:20:34,280
very expensive Soviet equipment
for freezing, air-conditioning,
331
00:20:34,320 --> 00:20:38,960
keeping fresh air,
and all other functions,
332
00:20:39,000 --> 00:20:44,120
to be not only a shelter
in case of nuclear war
333
00:20:44,160 --> 00:20:50,600
but also to keep at least one
mummy of the communist gov. Alive.
334
00:20:52,040 --> 00:20:54,480
Located directly
below his shrine
335
00:20:54,520 --> 00:20:58,040
was a secret room that
connected to the vast tunnel system.
336
00:21:00,080 --> 00:21:03,200
And this is the most
interesting place.
337
00:21:03,240 --> 00:21:08,560
Here we can see a
big hydraulic platform,
338
00:21:08,600 --> 00:21:13,640
which is fixed just under
the centre of mausoleum.
339
00:21:16,200 --> 00:21:20,000
So the body of georgi
dimitrov was here
340
00:21:20,040 --> 00:21:27,040
and was pushed up for the
visitors in a special glass box.
341
00:21:28,120 --> 00:21:31,400
You had a seven-man
team of doctors
342
00:21:31,440 --> 00:21:34,400
that did daily inspections
of dimitrov's body.
343
00:21:34,440 --> 00:21:37,200
They even took
care of his clothes.
344
00:21:37,240 --> 00:21:39,456
They had a new suit
made for him regularly
345
00:21:39,480 --> 00:21:40,760
by his own personal tailor.
346
00:21:42,880 --> 00:21:45,560
Everybody in the whole country
347
00:21:45,600 --> 00:21:52,600
is expected to make a pilgrimage to
this communist, godless mausoleum,
348
00:21:53,760 --> 00:21:56,960
as though they were
making a pilgrimage
349
00:21:57,000 --> 00:21:59,720
to an ancient
Christian Saint's grave.
350
00:22:02,600 --> 00:22:04,896
I visited at least three times
when I was in the school.
351
00:22:04,920 --> 00:22:06,920
What I remember -
352
00:22:06,960 --> 00:22:09,680
the cold temperature inside,
353
00:22:09,720 --> 00:22:13,200
the smell of
something like hospital,
354
00:22:13,240 --> 00:22:16,440
and see a body of a person
355
00:22:16,480 --> 00:22:19,240
who I saw only in the book,
356
00:22:19,280 --> 00:22:22,120
inside a glass box.
357
00:22:25,240 --> 00:22:27,280
For the next 40 years,
358
00:22:27,320 --> 00:22:30,920
dimitrov's preserved corpse
remained an ever-present attraction,
359
00:22:31,920 --> 00:22:37,080
but in 1990 his body would be
removed and a scandal uncovered.
360
00:22:41,840 --> 00:22:45,640
It is not unreasonable
to ask the question,
361
00:22:45,680 --> 00:22:48,560
did dimitrov fall
or was he pushed?
362
00:22:56,160 --> 00:22:59,999
Fall of communism officially
was in November 1989.
363
00:23:00,000 --> 00:23:00,520
Fall of communism officially
was in November 1989.
364
00:23:00,560 --> 00:23:02,640
One year later
365
00:23:02,680 --> 00:23:04,560
the first post-communist
government
366
00:23:04,600 --> 00:23:07,640
decided to have official
funeral of georgi dimitrov.
367
00:23:07,680 --> 00:23:09,760
Secretly during the night
368
00:23:09,800 --> 00:23:12,840
his body was transported
to the central graveyard
369
00:23:12,880 --> 00:23:14,800
and was buried there.
370
00:23:17,200 --> 00:23:22,240
However, when laid to rest, his
remains were not entirely intact.
371
00:23:22,280 --> 00:23:26,400
An embalmer had removed
his brain for examination,
372
00:23:26,440 --> 00:23:28,760
as they suspected
Russian foul play
373
00:23:28,800 --> 00:23:31,880
was the real reason
for his untimely death.
374
00:23:31,920 --> 00:23:36,000
He had been called to
the Soviet union by Stalin,
375
00:23:36,040 --> 00:23:37,960
and it's there that he died.
376
00:23:40,120 --> 00:23:45,240
The test proved that dimitrov
was poisoned by Mercury,
377
00:23:45,280 --> 00:23:48,880
because in his
brain and in his hair
378
00:23:48,920 --> 00:23:51,920
were registered more
than 20 times more Mercury
379
00:23:51,960 --> 00:23:56,360
comparing to normal
dose for any human body.
380
00:23:57,680 --> 00:23:59,999
It's one of those mysteries that we
can't prove but makes some sense.
381
00:24:00,000 --> 00:24:02,960
It's one of those mysteries that we
can't prove but makes some sense.
382
00:24:03,440 --> 00:24:05,280
Whatever the truth,
383
00:24:05,320 --> 00:24:07,696
the mausoleum was demolished
after dimitrov's removal
384
00:24:07,720 --> 00:24:09,400
and the tunnels abandoned.
385
00:24:17,560 --> 00:24:19,840
It's been over three decades
386
00:24:19,880 --> 00:24:23,520
since communism's dark
shadow lifted from over Bulgaria.
387
00:24:24,800 --> 00:24:28,800
Ivo still finds that period
painful to remember.
388
00:24:31,280 --> 00:24:33,840
There is no option to have
any romantic memories
389
00:24:33,880 --> 00:24:35,320
from the communist times.
390
00:24:35,360 --> 00:24:39,320
This building was
controversial enough.
391
00:24:39,360 --> 00:24:42,840
A lot of people hate it and
I'm among these people,
392
00:24:44,480 --> 00:24:50,160
because really this place was
the heart of communist propaganda.
393
00:24:50,200 --> 00:24:53,360
It was very important the
building to be demolished.
394
00:25:01,600 --> 00:25:03,160
In north-east england,
395
00:25:03,200 --> 00:25:06,400
the city of hull hides
an extraordinary ruin
396
00:25:06,440 --> 00:25:08,680
in a very ordinary street.
397
00:25:13,840 --> 00:25:16,760
There are houses,
grocery stores, bars,
398
00:25:16,800 --> 00:25:18,960
and then right in
amongst them all
399
00:25:19,000 --> 00:25:21,761
there's something that you
definitely don't expect to see.
400
00:25:24,280 --> 00:25:26,800
This building is in
really bad shape,
401
00:25:26,840 --> 00:25:28,560
so much so
402
00:25:28,600 --> 00:25:32,680
that the whole structure is held
up by steel girders and scaffolding.
403
00:25:33,720 --> 00:25:36,520
Something much more
destructive than just time
404
00:25:36,560 --> 00:25:39,360
has reduced this
place to near rubble.
405
00:25:42,160 --> 00:25:45,480
On the edge of town
is a brutish construction
406
00:25:45,520 --> 00:25:48,880
that at first glance
appears entirely unrelated.
407
00:25:50,160 --> 00:25:52,280
Surrounded by
lush green farmlands
408
00:25:52,320 --> 00:25:55,280
is a series of stout
concrete structures
409
00:25:55,320 --> 00:25:58,880
that seem to serve no
agricultural purpose at all.
410
00:26:01,280 --> 00:26:06,640
And what we're looking
at here is a relic of the idea
411
00:26:06,680 --> 00:26:11,120
that you could send enough
airplanes and drop enough bombs
412
00:26:11,160 --> 00:26:14,280
to break the will of a people.
413
00:26:17,280 --> 00:26:21,880
These rural ruins and the
battered brick shell 6 miles away
414
00:26:21,920 --> 00:26:23,840
are relics of a time
415
00:26:23,880 --> 00:26:26,600
when britain was fighting to
preserve its very existence.
416
00:26:28,120 --> 00:26:30,200
The creeping horror
417
00:26:30,240 --> 00:26:36,080
of the idea of going to sleep in
your bed and never waking up
418
00:26:36,120 --> 00:26:38,600
drove the people
into the countryside.
419
00:26:47,960 --> 00:26:49,440
Well, when I first came in,
420
00:26:49,480 --> 00:26:51,080
it was completely overgrown.
421
00:26:51,120 --> 00:26:54,840
The trees had taken
over really at the back
422
00:26:54,880 --> 00:26:57,800
and it was almost
like a secret garden.
423
00:27:00,240 --> 00:27:02,120
Hilary byers has
fought for decades
424
00:27:02,160 --> 00:27:05,680
to save this site
from being torn down.
425
00:27:05,720 --> 00:27:09,120
She works to ensure the
tragedy of what happened here
426
00:27:09,160 --> 00:27:10,920
is never forgotten.
427
00:27:12,280 --> 00:27:16,160
We're intending to create
memorials around the site
428
00:27:16,200 --> 00:27:18,416
so we shall have
boards with names on,
429
00:27:18,440 --> 00:27:21,280
but we shall also
have interpretation
430
00:27:21,320 --> 00:27:24,640
explaining to people
just what happened here.
431
00:27:26,440 --> 00:27:31,000
In 1914 when this building
was originally constructed,
432
00:27:31,040 --> 00:27:33,800
it served the local
community as a cinema.
433
00:27:35,280 --> 00:27:38,000
It was called the
national picture theatre.
434
00:27:39,080 --> 00:27:42,760
It could seat over 900 people
in its stalls and balcony levels,
435
00:27:42,800 --> 00:27:45,360
and it had a 24-foot screen
436
00:27:45,400 --> 00:27:47,960
that stretched across
the far end of the cinema.
437
00:27:48,800 --> 00:27:51,840
Their advertising material said,
438
00:27:51,880 --> 00:27:55,920
"our chairs are as comfortable
as father's armchair at home."
439
00:27:55,960 --> 00:27:59,999
You know, they were at pains
to tell you this was no fleapit.
440
00:28:00,000 --> 00:28:00,240
You know, they were at pains
to tell you this was no fleapit.
441
00:28:00,280 --> 00:28:03,000
This was... this
was the real deal.
442
00:28:04,960 --> 00:28:06,840
Cinemas like this
443
00:28:06,880 --> 00:28:09,520
provided entertainment
for rich and poor alike.
444
00:28:10,720 --> 00:28:13,136
One of the reasons for
the popularity of the cinema
445
00:28:13,160 --> 00:28:14,600
is that it was so affordable.
446
00:28:14,640 --> 00:28:17,840
Going to see a show
cost under seven cents.
447
00:28:19,440 --> 00:28:22,080
If they were in
the cheaper seats,
448
00:28:22,120 --> 00:28:24,520
they would come into this foyer,
449
00:28:24,560 --> 00:28:28,320
they would go up steps here
450
00:28:28,360 --> 00:28:30,680
or over here
451
00:28:30,720 --> 00:28:34,040
and into the auditorium
through the doors,
452
00:28:34,080 --> 00:28:36,480
and then, of course,
453
00:28:36,520 --> 00:28:40,360
the floor gradually sloped
down towards the screen.
454
00:28:42,520 --> 00:28:45,320
This was a place where people
came to enjoy themselves,
455
00:28:45,360 --> 00:28:47,800
to meet up with
friends and family,
456
00:28:47,840 --> 00:28:50,280
but something happened
to threaten all that.
457
00:28:52,680 --> 00:28:55,480
On 3 September 1939
458
00:28:55,520 --> 00:28:57,960
britain declared war
on Nazi Germany,
459
00:28:58,000 --> 00:28:59,600
marking the start
460
00:28:59,640 --> 00:29:00,000
of the most destructive
conflict in human history.
461
00:29:00,001 --> 00:29:02,561
Of the most destructive
conflict in human history.
462
00:29:06,960 --> 00:29:08,280
One year later
463
00:29:08,320 --> 00:29:11,120
the people of britain felt
the full force of Hitler's wrath.
464
00:29:13,800 --> 00:29:16,480
The Germans sent wave
after wave of bombers
465
00:29:16,520 --> 00:29:21,080
to drop an immense amount of
ordnance all over cities in britain.
466
00:29:22,360 --> 00:29:24,616
The blitz bought
the reality of the war
467
00:29:24,640 --> 00:29:28,680
from mainland Europe to the
very doorstep of the British people.
468
00:29:30,560 --> 00:29:32,480
Hull was no exception,
469
00:29:32,520 --> 00:29:36,760
and its citizens were subjected
to a brutal and sustained attack.
470
00:29:38,400 --> 00:29:41,960
Hull is a really
important English city.
471
00:29:42,000 --> 00:29:44,840
It's industrial, it has a port,
472
00:29:44,880 --> 00:29:51,760
but also hull faces Germany
across the north sea.
473
00:29:51,800 --> 00:29:56,320
Unlike some industrial
places in the United Kingdom,
474
00:29:56,360 --> 00:29:58,200
especially england,
475
00:29:58,240 --> 00:29:59,999
hull is easy to bomb
476
00:30:00,000 --> 00:30:01,160
hull is easy to bomb
477
00:30:01,200 --> 00:30:03,760
because it's easy to get to.
478
00:30:05,800 --> 00:30:09,520
This meant that the city
was also the secondary target
479
00:30:09,560 --> 00:30:11,760
for many other
German bombing raids.
480
00:30:13,720 --> 00:30:17,760
If you're in hull, the luftwaffe
gets you when they're coming,
481
00:30:17,800 --> 00:30:20,920
but they also get you
when they're going.
482
00:30:20,960 --> 00:30:24,840
Ordinary citizens resorted to
sleeping in the surrounding fields
483
00:30:24,880 --> 00:30:29,400
to survive the night, a
practice known as 'trekking'.
484
00:30:30,400 --> 00:30:33,240
They got a decent
night's sleep somewhere,
485
00:30:33,280 --> 00:30:34,880
wherever they could,
486
00:30:34,920 --> 00:30:38,680
and came back into
the city the next day.
487
00:30:39,960 --> 00:30:43,880
They would rather
sleep rough in the country
488
00:30:43,920 --> 00:30:47,760
than get bombed
to death in the city.
489
00:30:49,080 --> 00:30:53,040
And the city responded by aiming
its defences up towards the sky.
490
00:30:54,920 --> 00:30:57,440
Dennis Chapman
is a local historian
491
00:30:57,480 --> 00:30:59,999
that helped rediscover
this site in 2014.
492
00:31:00,000 --> 00:31:01,696
That helped rediscover
this site in 2014.
493
00:31:01,720 --> 00:31:04,560
Where we are now
is in the middle of a...
494
00:31:04,600 --> 00:31:06,560
One of the four
gun emplacements,
495
00:31:06,600 --> 00:31:11,400
so the gun itself, which
was a 3.7 inch gun,
496
00:31:11,440 --> 00:31:13,120
was centrally located here.
497
00:31:14,680 --> 00:31:16,800
Known as station h31,
498
00:31:16,840 --> 00:31:21,440
it was part of a web of
gun batteries around hull
499
00:31:21,480 --> 00:31:24,840
designed to fight back against
relentless luftwaffe attacks.
500
00:31:24,880 --> 00:31:27,800
There should be seven
ammunition recesses,
501
00:31:27,840 --> 00:31:30,016
so that's where the
shells were stored,
502
00:31:30,040 --> 00:31:32,416
and the men would then
collect the appropriate shell
503
00:31:32,440 --> 00:31:35,680
and obviously feed it
into the gun to be fired.
504
00:31:35,720 --> 00:31:37,656
And then in addition
to those recesses,
505
00:31:37,680 --> 00:31:39,080
you've got the two shelters,
506
00:31:39,120 --> 00:31:41,336
which is where the men
would have sheltered
507
00:31:41,360 --> 00:31:43,000
when they weren't on the gun.
508
00:31:44,240 --> 00:31:46,360
On a busy night,
it would be hectic
509
00:31:46,400 --> 00:31:49,760
because they'd all
be working at once,
510
00:31:49,800 --> 00:31:51,136
there'd be information
going out to the guns,
511
00:31:51,160 --> 00:31:52,336
they'd be changing all the time
512
00:31:52,360 --> 00:31:54,920
as the position of the
aircraft would be changing.
513
00:31:57,640 --> 00:31:59,240
But try as they might,
514
00:31:59,280 --> 00:32:00,000
hull's Valiant defenders could
not stop the bombs from falling.
515
00:32:00,001 --> 00:32:03,480
Hull's Valiant defenders could
not stop the bombs from falling.
516
00:32:05,280 --> 00:32:10,120
As much as 95% of its buildings
were damaged or destroyed.
517
00:32:11,760 --> 00:32:14,056
All of Europe suffered
in the second world war,
518
00:32:14,080 --> 00:32:18,200
but the home secretary
at the time said it -
519
00:32:18,240 --> 00:32:22,600
no place in britain
suffered worse than hull.
520
00:32:25,040 --> 00:32:29,000
The national picture theatre
would not escape the carnage,
521
00:32:29,040 --> 00:32:32,520
but it wasn't Hitler
who had the last laugh.
522
00:32:35,240 --> 00:32:38,320
The circumstances around
this building's destruction
523
00:32:38,360 --> 00:32:41,960
are truly bizarre.
You couldn't write it.
524
00:32:44,800 --> 00:32:47,560
On 18 march 1941,
525
00:32:47,600 --> 00:32:49,720
a full house had assembled
526
00:32:49,760 --> 00:32:53,600
to watch one of wartime
britain's most popular films.
527
00:32:55,080 --> 00:32:56,440
You've got a movie theatre
528
00:32:56,480 --> 00:32:59,999
filled with moviegoers
watching 'the great dictator'.
529
00:33:00,000 --> 00:33:01,256
Filled with moviegoers
watching 'the great dictator'.
530
00:33:01,280 --> 00:33:04,400
They're watching
Charlie chaplin,
531
00:33:04,440 --> 00:33:07,720
a working-class English guy,
532
00:33:07,760 --> 00:33:11,000
who is mocking Hitler.
533
00:33:12,360 --> 00:33:16,240
As you can imagine, Hitler and
his buddies weren't amused at all,
534
00:33:16,280 --> 00:33:18,240
but the film was hugely popular
535
00:33:18,280 --> 00:33:21,880
with audiences in the us, the
UK, and other allied countries.
536
00:33:21,920 --> 00:33:23,800
They couldn't get enough of it.
537
00:33:24,880 --> 00:33:26,560
And suddenly the film stops.
538
00:33:28,680 --> 00:33:31,200
The projectionist puts a gel on,
539
00:33:31,240 --> 00:33:33,320
which says that
there's an air raid.
540
00:33:36,640 --> 00:33:41,480
For almost seven hours,
Hitler's fury rained down on hull.
541
00:33:42,480 --> 00:33:46,160
With the air-raid sirens
screaming outside,
542
00:33:46,200 --> 00:33:49,480
the people inside must
have been terrified.
543
00:33:50,840 --> 00:33:52,960
And then a bomb hit.
544
00:33:55,520 --> 00:33:58,680
It sent bricks and debris
flying back through the building
545
00:33:58,720 --> 00:33:59,999
towards the occupants
taking shelter in the foyer.
546
00:34:00,000 --> 00:34:02,336
Towards the occupants
taking shelter in the foyer.
547
00:34:02,360 --> 00:34:05,520
The smoke and screaming
that surrounded them
548
00:34:05,560 --> 00:34:07,280
must have been all-consuming.
549
00:34:10,520 --> 00:34:14,560
So it's quite ironic that that
was the film that was showing
550
00:34:14,600 --> 00:34:16,960
the night that the
cinema was bombed.
551
00:34:17,000 --> 00:34:20,480
A room full of English people
552
00:34:20,520 --> 00:34:22,560
watching Charlie chaplin
553
00:34:22,600 --> 00:34:26,240
playing the character that
is clearly based on Hitler,
554
00:34:26,280 --> 00:34:30,199
and then Hitler takes
a SWAT at them.
555
00:34:30,240 --> 00:34:35,040
He wanted to punish the
British for laughing at him.
556
00:34:37,480 --> 00:34:42,320
In total 91 people lost
their lives that night,
557
00:34:42,360 --> 00:34:45,240
including nine on the
road opposite the cinema.
558
00:34:45,280 --> 00:34:49,440
But by some miracle,
nobody in the cinema died.
559
00:34:51,639 --> 00:34:55,639
The national picture theatre
was destroyed beyond repair
560
00:34:55,679 --> 00:34:57,720
that fateful night,
561
00:34:57,760 --> 00:34:59,999
yet no amount of bombs
could break the people's will
562
00:35:00,000 --> 00:35:01,936
yet no amount of bombs
could break the people's will
563
00:35:01,960 --> 00:35:04,720
or stop them laughing
at Hitler's expense.
564
00:35:04,760 --> 00:35:08,240
Some British people
even look back at this time
565
00:35:08,280 --> 00:35:10,600
with a weird sense of nostalgia.
566
00:35:13,880 --> 00:35:16,000
In england it's
called blitz spirit.
567
00:35:17,400 --> 00:35:18,840
The sentiment being
568
00:35:18,880 --> 00:35:22,080
that if we could survive the
blitz, we can survive anything.
569
00:35:28,880 --> 00:35:30,680
At the conflict's end,
570
00:35:30,720 --> 00:35:34,560
most of britain's destroyed
buildings were slowly torn down
571
00:35:34,600 --> 00:35:36,560
and replaced with
modern structures.
572
00:35:36,600 --> 00:35:40,400
That any of this
cinema still stands
573
00:35:40,440 --> 00:35:43,800
is tribute to the work
of people like hilary.
574
00:35:43,840 --> 00:35:47,160
It's a memorial to everybody,
575
00:35:47,200 --> 00:35:50,320
all the civilians who
died during world war ii,
576
00:35:50,360 --> 00:35:56,120
and to the experience of civilians,
those who survived as well.
577
00:36:02,760 --> 00:36:05,440
On the outskirts
of the Italian capital,
578
00:36:05,480 --> 00:36:07,240
nestled in a wooded glade,
579
00:36:07,280 --> 00:36:09,840
is a structure built in
the name of defiance.
580
00:36:16,240 --> 00:36:18,320
We're in the town of fregene,
581
00:36:18,360 --> 00:36:25,200
a seaside community only
about 20 miles outside of Rome.
582
00:36:26,880 --> 00:36:28,680
In the middle of a pine forest
583
00:36:28,720 --> 00:36:32,720
lies one of the oddest
structures you'll ever see.
584
00:36:32,760 --> 00:36:37,120
It's a feast of geometrical
shapes hidden amongst the trees.
585
00:36:38,360 --> 00:36:41,720
They're bundled together
in a really chaotic way
586
00:36:41,760 --> 00:36:44,600
like a giant game of Tetris.
587
00:36:47,120 --> 00:36:48,680
It seems clear
588
00:36:48,720 --> 00:36:51,840
whoever built this place had a
disregard for the conventional.
589
00:36:53,440 --> 00:36:57,320
The main building is kind
of a study in contradictions.
590
00:36:57,360 --> 00:36:59,999
Clearly they're meant to make
some kind of architectural statement,
591
00:37:00,000 --> 00:37:00,440
clearly they're meant to make
some kind of architectural statement,
592
00:37:00,480 --> 00:37:04,240
so it's not obvious whether
it's a house or a small school
593
00:37:04,280 --> 00:37:07,920
or a substation for
a power company.
594
00:37:07,960 --> 00:37:10,360
It really... It could
be almost anything.
595
00:37:10,960 --> 00:37:13,680
Often structures are
a product of their time.
596
00:37:13,720 --> 00:37:16,040
This one was a reaction.
597
00:37:18,000 --> 00:37:21,640
This building cannot
just be a house.
598
00:37:21,680 --> 00:37:24,040
It has to serve
some kind of function.
599
00:37:25,200 --> 00:37:29,720
This crazy design is somehow
also the proclamation of an ideology.
600
00:37:55,440 --> 00:37:58,440
Raynaldo perugini grew
up in the bizarre structure.
601
00:38:00,400 --> 00:38:03,520
This was a home in which
the normal rules didn't apply.
602
00:38:30,840 --> 00:38:34,920
The project was started by two
architecture professors from Rome,
603
00:38:34,960 --> 00:38:38,560
giuseppe perugini and
his wife uga de plaisant.
604
00:38:39,600 --> 00:38:42,440
They wanted to build
605
00:38:42,480 --> 00:38:46,320
a kind of a homestead
that would reflect the trends
606
00:38:46,360 --> 00:38:49,360
that were moving through
architecture at the time.
607
00:38:50,880 --> 00:38:53,960
Italy in the 1950s was changing.
608
00:38:55,800 --> 00:38:59,160
Everything from music
to cinema and design
609
00:38:59,200 --> 00:39:00,000
was taking on a
new lease of life.
610
00:39:00,001 --> 00:39:01,520
Was taking on a
new lease of life.
611
00:39:01,560 --> 00:39:04,480
The inspiration
was earlier conflict.
612
00:39:06,360 --> 00:39:11,400
Italy's fascist government
collapsed at the end of world war ii,
613
00:39:11,440 --> 00:39:14,440
and in the period that followed
614
00:39:14,480 --> 00:39:18,000
there was a kind of
a countermovement
615
00:39:18,040 --> 00:39:20,520
that wanted to reject fascism
616
00:39:20,560 --> 00:39:23,560
and the kind of monolithic style
617
00:39:23,600 --> 00:39:26,600
that we associate
with fascist architecture.
618
00:39:28,920 --> 00:39:31,160
And there was no better location
619
00:39:31,200 --> 00:39:34,160
for the two architects
to realise their dream
620
00:39:34,200 --> 00:39:36,760
than the glamourous
seaside town of fregene.
621
00:39:39,560 --> 00:39:41,680
Fregene is a
popular coastal town
622
00:39:41,720 --> 00:39:44,680
that came to prominence
in the 1960s and '70s
623
00:39:44,720 --> 00:39:48,280
when it was the centre of
the fashion and cinema worlds.
624
00:39:50,360 --> 00:39:52,480
During this period,
625
00:39:52,520 --> 00:39:55,800
it was a place where Italian
intellectuals and bohemians
626
00:39:55,840 --> 00:39:57,640
would often gather.
627
00:39:57,680 --> 00:39:59,999
The filmmaker fellini
had a house there
628
00:40:00,000 --> 00:40:01,336
the filmmaker fellini
had a house there
629
00:40:01,360 --> 00:40:05,800
and actually shot some
scenes in several of his movies,
630
00:40:05,840 --> 00:40:08,120
including the
film 'la dolce vita'.
631
00:40:09,120 --> 00:40:11,360
Over a period of seven years,
632
00:40:11,400 --> 00:40:15,640
architect giuseppe perugini,
his wife and later their son
633
00:40:15,680 --> 00:40:19,840
built this place as their
eccentric holiday home.
634
00:40:22,760 --> 00:40:28,520
This is casa albero, which
translates simply as 'treehouse'.
635
00:40:46,560 --> 00:40:48,960
And in the mind of perugini,
636
00:40:49,000 --> 00:40:51,376
this was supposed to
be a never-ending house
637
00:40:51,400 --> 00:40:54,560
whose life and energy
could go on forever.
638
00:40:56,840 --> 00:40:59,999
This main building was only
one aspect of the crazy concept.
639
00:41:00,000 --> 00:41:02,800
This main building was only
one aspect of the crazy concept.
640
00:41:47,240 --> 00:41:49,720
Innovation,
experimentation, boldness -
641
00:41:49,760 --> 00:41:54,160
these are the kind of things
that always get people excited,
642
00:41:54,200 --> 00:41:58,920
so this house became the venue
for some of the craziest parties
643
00:41:58,960 --> 00:41:59,999
amongst the rich
Italian bourgeoisie.
644
00:42:00,000 --> 00:42:02,320
Amongst the rich
Italian bourgeoisie.
645
00:42:05,000 --> 00:42:08,680
But casa albero's days
were sadly numbered.
646
00:42:10,360 --> 00:42:14,600
By the mid-1970s the family
used the building less and less.
647
00:42:15,640 --> 00:42:20,000
Then in 1995
giuseppe perugini died,
648
00:42:20,040 --> 00:42:23,000
followed by his
wife nine years later.
649
00:42:24,560 --> 00:42:28,440
After the architect's death,
the house fell into disrepair.
650
00:42:28,480 --> 00:42:31,240
It's been vandalised
with graffiti,
651
00:42:31,280 --> 00:42:34,920
became a squat and the
venue for illegal parties.
652
00:42:36,560 --> 00:42:39,480
That captured the
attention of the media,
653
00:42:39,520 --> 00:42:42,000
who then branded this
structure as abandoned.
654
00:42:51,880 --> 00:42:55,560
Today this building is a
shell of what it once was.
655
00:42:55,600 --> 00:42:59,320
Raynaldo, though, has
big plans to change all that.
656
00:43:00,720 --> 00:43:04,000
He's tirelessly trying to
preserve his family's vision
657
00:43:04,040 --> 00:43:07,040
and turn it into a
cultural hub once again,
658
00:43:08,120 --> 00:43:13,320
and raynaldo is adamant his
father's dream should and will live on.
659
00:43:14,360 --> 00:43:17,359
Captioned by
ai-media ai-media. TV
55253
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